1081 by Sarfatti for Arteluce
By Arteluce, Gino Sarfatti
Located in Milano, IT
Designed for Arteluce in 1959, this rare Model 1081 floor lamp is a definitive masterwork of Gino
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Floor Lamps
Materials
Aluminum, Iron
Mid Century Floor Lamp Diffuser
to
55
637
167
590
364
233
160
135
117
109
107
21
12
6
5
5
3
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
45
31
28
22
21
DL5 Lampione in White for Guzzini by Fabio Lenci, Italy 1970s
$13,039
H 82.68 in W 46.86 in D 14.18 in
DL5 Lampione in White for Guzzini by Fabio Lenci, Italy 1970s
By Fabio Lenci, Guzzini
Located in Hellouw, NL
With its sculptural silhouette and fluid motion, this floor lamp captures the elegant
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Floor Lamps
Materials
Plastic
Alvar Aalto floorlamp model A809
Located in Hyvinkää, FI
The Artek Aalto A809 floor lamp, designed by the renowned Finnish architect and designer Alvar
Category
Early 20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Floor Lamps
Materials
Metal
Rare Rembrandt Lamp! Iconic Mid Century Modern "Twilight Zone" Lamp MCM 1950s
$6,000Sale Price|47% Off
H 38.5 in W 19 in D 19 in
Rare Rembrandt Lamp! Iconic Mid Century Modern "Twilight Zone" Lamp MCM 1950s
By Rembrandt Lamp Company
Located in Peoria, AZ
MID CENTURY LIGHTING! ATOMIC AWESOME! DIMENSIONS: HEIGHT: 38.5" SHADE: 19" MILK GLASS DIFFUSER
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Enamel
Josep Aregall Costura Floor Lamp, Steel & PVC, Mid-Century Modern
$3,058 / item
H 86.62 in W 19.1 in D 19.1 in
Josep Aregall Costura Floor Lamp, Steel & PVC, Mid-Century Modern
By Josep Aregall Fuste
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Structure Paper coated PVC diffuser Floor lamp. Steel structure finished in textured black. Matte opal
Category
2010s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Steel
Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamp by West German Pottery, Ceramic, 1960s
By West German Pottery
Located in London, England
Enhance your interior with this vintage West Germany floor lamp, made of ceramic, combining an
Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Ceramic
Mid Century Modern Lightolier Tripod Custom Floor Lamp After Gerald Thurston MCM
$4,720Sale Price|20% Off
H 36 in W 18 in D 18 in
Mid Century Modern Lightolier Tripod Custom Floor Lamp After Gerald Thurston MCM
By Gerald Thurston, Lightolier
Located in Peoria, AZ
reading lamp. The mid century period has a long history with reading lights and Philip Johnson created
Category
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Brass
Mid Century Murano Glass Electra Table or Floor Lamp by Giuliana Gramigna
$1,758 / item
H 15.75 in Dm 19.69 in
Mid Century Murano Glass Electra Table or Floor Lamp by Giuliana Gramigna
By Giuliana Gramigna, Artemide
Located in London, London
A sculptural table lamp designed by Giuliana Gramigna for Artemide, Italy, circa 1960s–1970s. The
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Murano Glass
Mid-Century Space Age Chrome and Glass Globe Table or Floor Lamp, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Large Space Age Globe table or floor lamp in chrome and glass. A functional light source and an
Category
20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Mid Century Modern Circular Chrome Table Lamp
By Paul Mayen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mid-Century Modern Chrome Table or Floor lamp. This polished circular chrome lamp with acrylic
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Relco Brass floor lamp, Italy 1980
By Relco Milano
Located in Bronx, NY
Relco Italian brass floor lamp 1980 the circular brass diffuser can be set as an uplight or
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Crystal, Brass, Metal
Mid-Century Czech Minimalist Table Lamp from Pokrok, 1960s
By Pokrok
Located in Hamburg, DE
Rare Mid-Century table lamp from the Czech manufacturer Pokrok. The design convinces with its
Category
20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Two Unique Lotus Floor Lamps or Large Table Lamp
Located in Antwerp, BE
. To be used as a floor lamp or as a large table lamp, perfect for lovers of vintage, bohemian and
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Hollywood Regency Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Cassina Ficupala Table Lamp: Marble Base & Blown Glass, Mid-Century
$2,750 / item
H 23.23 in Dm 7.88 in
Cassina Ficupala Table Lamp: Marble Base & Blown Glass, Mid-Century
By Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
shapes of the plant kingdom. A table lamp and a floor lamp, with heights of 138 cm or 59 cm, and base in
Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Marble
Cassina Ficupala Table Lamp: Marble Base & Blown Glass, Mid-Century
$2,750 / item
H 23.23 in Dm 7.88 in
Cassina Ficupala Table Lamp: Marble Base & Blown Glass, Mid-Century
By Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
shapes of the plant kingdom. A table lamp and a floor lamp, with heights of 138 cm or 59 cm, and base in
Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Marble
Cassina Ficupala Table Lamp: Marble Base & Blown Glass, Mid-Century
$2,750 / item
H 23.23 in Dm 7.88 in
Cassina Ficupala Table Lamp: Marble Base & Blown Glass, Mid-Century
By Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
shapes of the plant kingdom. A table lamp and a floor lamp, with heights of 138 cm or 59 cm, and base in
Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Marble
Cassina Ficupala Table Lamp: Marble Base & Blown Glass, Mid-Century
$2,750 / item
H 23.23 in Dm 7.88 in
Cassina Ficupala Table Lamp: Marble Base & Blown Glass, Mid-Century
By Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
shapes of the plant kingdom. A table lamp and a floor lamp, with heights of 138 cm or 59 cm, and base in
Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Marble
Mid-Century Ceramic Table Lamp W/ Naturalist Resin Shade & Illuminated Cutout
$8,975
H 48.5 in Dm 13.5 in
Mid-Century Ceramic Table Lamp W/ Naturalist Resin Shade & Illuminated Cutout
Located in New York, NY
This striking Mid-Century Modernist ceramic floor/table lamp, crafted in France circa 1960, is a
Category
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Ceramic, Resin
Mid-Century German Space Age Glass and Chrome Table Lamp, 1960s
$5,275
H 21.26 in W 12.99 in D 8.66 in
Mid-Century German Space Age Glass and Chrome Table Lamp, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Impressive Space Age table or floor lamp with a hand-blown glass ball. What is particularly
Category
20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Josep Aregall Talla 3 Table Lamp, Steel & PVC, Mid-Century Modern
$1,161 / item
H 28.35 in W 9.45 in D 9.45 in
Josep Aregall Talla 3 Table Lamp, Steel & PVC, Mid-Century Modern
By Josep Aregall Fuste
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
white diffuser providing ambient light. Type: Floor lamp Environment: Indoor Structure: Steel
Category
2010s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Steel
A MID-CENTURY MODERN Orientable TABLE LAMP by MAISON LUNEL, France 1950
$4,267
H 24.81 in W 17.72 in D 13.98 in
A MID-CENTURY MODERN Orientable TABLE LAMP by MAISON LUNEL, France 1950
By R. Lunel, Maison Lunel
Located in PARIS, FR
An authentic, rare and iconic orientable table lamp, Mid-Century-Modern, Modernist, Fifties, Forme
Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
BBPR for Artemide Midcentury Italian “Ro” Floor Lamp 1960s
By Artemide, Studio BBPR
Located in Reggio Emilia, IT
Italian midcentury modern design floor lamp model ‘Ro’ designed by architects Belgiojoso
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Mid-Century Swiss Space Age Mushroom Type 60 Table Lamp from Temde, 1960s
$2,345
H 21.65 in Dm 15.75 in
Mid-Century Swiss Space Age Mushroom Type 60 Table Lamp from Temde, 1960s
By Temde Leuchten
Located in Hamburg, DE
offset from the floor with a shadow joint. The lamp has a double foot switch to switch flooders and the
Category
20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Bernt Nordstedt, Bergboms, mid century table lamp, glass & textile, Sweden 1960s
$889
H 26.38 in Dm 13.78 in
Bernt Nordstedt, Bergboms, mid century table lamp, glass & textile, Sweden 1960s
By Berndt Nordstedt, Bergboms
Located in Forserum, SE
Grossman Grasshopper floor lamp.
Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Textile, Glass, Teak
Space Age or Mid Century Modern Twirling Medusa Lamp in White Steel and Aluminum
$4,623
H 25.6 in Dm 17.33 in
Space Age or Mid Century Modern Twirling Medusa Lamp in White Steel and Aluminum
By Olaf von Bohr, Valenti
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
called Medusa. It could be used as a table lamp, a desk lamp or as a floor lamp. It was built in Italy
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Aluminum
‘Bubble’ table/floor lamp designed by Goffredo Reggiani, 1970s Italy
$2,370Sale Price|20% Off
H 23.63 in Dm 11.82 in
‘Bubble’ table/floor lamp designed by Goffredo Reggiani, 1970s Italy
Located in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Tel Aviv District
The Space Age "Bubble" table/floor lamp, designed by Goffredo Reggiani in 1970s Italy, exemplifies
Category
Mid-20th Century Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamp with Steel Base and Irregular Glass, 1970s
$825Sale Price|20% Off
H 14.57 in Dm 13 in
Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamp with Steel Base and Irregular Glass, 1970s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian Mid-Century Modern table lamp with steel base and irregular glass, 1970s Very rare and
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Pair of Accademia Floor Lamp by Cini Boeri for Artemide 1978
$25,824 / set
H 63.01 in W 22.01 in D 12.01 in
Pair of Accademia Floor Lamp by Cini Boeri for Artemide 1978
By Artemide, Cini Boeri
Located in Barcelona, ES
The Accademia lamp, designed by Cini Boeri in 1978, is a floor lamp version of the popular table
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Iron
Very rare RAAK Amsterdam ‘Light Sculpture’ table / floor lamp, Netherlands, 1970
$4,255
H 14.77 in W 19.69 in D 6.7 in
Very rare RAAK Amsterdam ‘Light Sculpture’ table / floor lamp, Netherlands, 1970
By RAAK, Maija Liisa Komulainen
Located in Oud Beijerland, NL
table lamp or floor lamp—and a true statement piece for mid-century modern, postmodern, or contemporary
Category
Vintage 1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Aluminum
Felix Floor Lamp, Made in UK by Sister - Steel with Silk Shade
$9,030 / item
H 59.06 in W 21.66 in D 21.66 in
Felix Floor Lamp, Made in UK by Sister - Steel with Silk Shade
Located in London, GB
The Felix Floor Lamp explores the interplay between weight and light. Formed from steel, its
Category
2010s British Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass, Steel
Pop Sculptural Murano Glass Floor / Table Lamp, Carlo Nason for Mazzega, Opaline
$1,369Sale Price|30% Off
H 25.6 in Dm 11.82 in
Pop Sculptural Murano Glass Floor / Table Lamp, Carlo Nason for Mazzega, Opaline
By Carlo Nason, Mazzega
Located in Milano, IT
is represented by floor lamps. The present light is indeed a rare and well preserved floor lamp
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Murano Glass
Gae Aulenti Attributed Mushroom / UFO Murano Glass Floor Lamp, Italy 1970s
$1,960Sale Price|20% Off
H 13.78 in Dm 16.15 in
Gae Aulenti Attributed Mushroom / UFO Murano Glass Floor Lamp, Italy 1970s
By Carlo Nason, Gae Aulenti
Located in Grand Cayman, KY
Delight in the artisanal charm of this handcrafted 1970s floor lamp, a treasure from the renowned
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Porcino table or floor lamp by Luigi Caccia Dominioni for Azucena, 1960s
$6,330
H 22.84 in Dm 17.33 in
Porcino table or floor lamp by Luigi Caccia Dominioni for Azucena, 1960s
By Luigi Caccia Dominioni, Azucena
Located in Rotterdam, NL
Porcino table or floor lamp designed by Luigi Caccia Dominioni and manufactured by Azucena, 1966
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Candle Lamp in Silver Metal, Unknown, 1960s
$2,300
H 66.1 in W 15 in D 2 in
Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Candle Lamp in Silver Metal, Unknown, 1960s
Located in New York, NY
This mid-century chrome candle floor lamp is defined by its disciplined verticality and sculptural
Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Candle Lamps
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Michele De Lucchi for Artemide "Dioscuri 42" Table or Floor Lamp, Italy 1970s
$829
H 16.93 in Dm 16.54 in
Michele De Lucchi for Artemide "Dioscuri 42" Table or Floor Lamp, Italy 1970s
By Michele de Lucchi, Artemide
Located in Naples, IT
Dioscuri table or floor lamp with a diameter of 42 cm made of blown opaline etched glass and a
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Glass
Gae Aulenti White Pipistrello Table or Floor Lamp by Martinelli Luce 1965
$3,793
H 27.56 in Dm 21.66 in
Gae Aulenti White Pipistrello Table or Floor Lamp by Martinelli Luce 1965
By Gae Aulenti, Martinelli Luce
Located in Cascina, Pisa
Pipistrello table or floor lamp with a base in white lacquered aluminum, extensible telescopic
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Aluminum, Stainless Steel, Iron
Large Bobo Piccoli 'Re' Table or Floor Lamp in Blown Glass for Fontana Arte
$3,852 / item
H 35 in Dm 13.4 in
Large Bobo Piccoli 'Re' Table or Floor Lamp in Blown Glass for Fontana Arte
By Fontana Arte, Bobo Piccoli
Located in Glendale, CA
Large Bobo Piccoli 'RE' table or floor lamp in blown glass for Fontana Arte. Originally designed by
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Large metal 'MT' Table / Floor Lamp by Giancarlo Mattioli for Sirrah, Italy 1969
$14,817
H 18.51 in Dm 18.12 in
Large metal 'MT' Table / Floor Lamp by Giancarlo Mattioli for Sirrah, Italy 1969
By Giancarlo Mattioli, Sirrah
Located in Echt, NL
Striking and sculptural ‘MT’ table or floor lamp, designed in 1969 by the renowned Italian
Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Moana chromed metal table/floor lamp by Luigi Massoni for DH Guzzini, Italy 1970
$2,133
H 21.66 in Dm 17.72 in
Moana chromed metal table/floor lamp by Luigi Massoni for DH Guzzini, Italy 1970
By Luigi Massoni, D. H. Guzzini
Located in Renens, CH
Moana table lamp designed by Luigi Massoni around 1968 Produced by D.H (Design House) Guzzini
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Nuutajärvi Finland Spherical Table Lamp 1980
By Nuutajärvi Notsjõ
Located in Tilburg, NL
Scandinavian Modern Table Lamp in Opaline Glass Finland 1980s Mouth blown opaline glass in a near
Category
Late 20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Glass, Art Glass
Acrylic "King Sun" Light
By Giovanni Bassi, New Lamp, Gae Aulenti
Located in Dronten, NL
An exceptional and sculptural table or floor lamp, made in Italy circa 1968, distinguished by its
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Tommaso Barbi Scallop Shell Table Lamp
By Tommaso Barbi
Located in New York, NY
was produced in a table lamp and a floor lamp. The lamp's diffuser design allows light to filter
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
Verner Panton Panthella Table Lamp
By Louis Poulsen, Verner Panton
Located in Berkeley, CA
downwards, and the material used ensures that the majority of the light is spread diffusely in the room from
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Metal table lamp with floral decoration, France, 1970
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
decor geometric floor lamp retro chic interior vintage French lighting
Category
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Bill Curry "Cattail" Lamp for Design Line, 1960s
By Bill Curry & Design Line
Located in Coronado, CA
. This whimsical table lamp, or small floor lamp, features brightly colored wooden "cattails" which float
Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Iron
Pietro Chiesa 0836 table lamp by Fontana Arte Italy 1939
By Pietro Chiesa, Fontana Arte
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
elegance and innovation of mid-century Italian design. Chiesa, known for his refined aesthetic and mastery
Category
Vintage 1930s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
Pair of Maison Jansen Style Gilt Metal Palm Tree Table Lamps
By Maison Jansen
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
of stylized naturalism associated with mid-20th century luxury interiors. Each lamp is formed as a
Category
Late 20th Century French Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Gino Sarfatti 607 table lamp by Arteluce Italy 1971
By Arteluce, Gino Sarfatti
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
a remarkable example of mid-century modern design, blending technical innovation with formal
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Aluminum
Stilnovo pair of lantern lamps Italy 1955
By Stilnovo
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Absolutely fantastic and rare pair of floor lamps, designed and manufactured by Stilnovo, Italy
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Aluminum, Brass
Poul Henningsen Ph 4/3 Table Lamp
By Poul Henningsen, Louis Poulsen
Located in Berkeley, CA
have been produced over the years and consisted of table, floor and wall lamps, as well as a number of
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Franceschina table lamp by Umberto Riva for Fontana Arte, 1980s
By Fontana Arte, Umberto Riva
Located in Rotterdam, NL
versions; Franceschina was released as a table, wall, floor and ceiling lamp. Literature: 'Repertorio del
Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Aluminum, Brass
Luigi Caccia Dominioni "Porcino" Table Lamp for Azucena, 1966
By Azucena, Luigi Caccia Dominioni
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
series also includes floor lamp versions, maintaining the same sculptural clarity and minimalist appeal.
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Glass
Large 'Kushi' Opaline Glass and Copper Table Lamp for Kdln
By KDLN, Alberto Saggia e Valerio Sommella
Located in Glendale, CA
, ceiling light, as well as a single or three-stemmed floor lamp - please see our separate listings. This
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Copper
Large 'Kushi' Opaline Glass and Brass Table Lamp for KDLN
By Alberto Saggia e Valerio Sommella, KDLN
Located in Glendale, CA
, ceiling light, as well as a single or three-stemmed floor lamp - please see our separate listings. This
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Brass
Small 'Kushi' Opaline Glass and Brass Table Lamp for KDLN
By Alberto Saggia e Valerio Sommella, KDLN
Located in Glendale, CA
, ceiling light, as well as a single or three-stemmed floor lamp - please see our separate listings. This
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Brass
Small 'Kushi' Opaline Glass and Copper Table Lamp for KDLN
By KDLN, Alberto Saggia e Valerio Sommella
Located in Glendale, CA
, ceiling light, as well as a single or three-stemmed floor lamp - please see our separate listings. This
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Brass
Big Ceramic Clam Shell Lamp by Studio A Smania Milano, Italy, 1970s
$2,015
H 11.82 in W 25.6 in D 18.9 in
Big Ceramic Clam Shell Lamp by Studio A Smania Milano, Italy, 1970s
Located in Quarrata, IT
A vintage sculptural table or floor lamp in the form of a giant clam shell, originating from Italy
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Ceramic
- 1
- ...
Get Updated with New Arrivals
Save "Mid Century Floor Lamp Diffuser", and we’ll notify you when there are new listings in this category.
Mid Century Floor Lamp Diffuser For Sale on 1stDibs
With a vast inventory of beautiful furniture at 1stDibs, we’ve got just the mid century floor lamp diffuser you’re looking for. Each mid century floor lamp diffuser for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using metal, brass and glass. Find 989 options for an antique or vintage mid century floor lamp diffuser now, or shop our selection of 127 modern versions for a more contemporary example of this long-cherished piece. Your living room may not be complete without a mid century floor lamp diffuser — find older editions for sale from the 18th Century and newer versions made as recently as the 21st Century. A mid century floor lamp diffuser made by mid-century modern designers — as well as those associated with Scandinavian Modern — is very popular. You’ll likely find more than one mid century floor lamp diffuser that is appealing in its simplicity, but Angelo Lelii, Stilnovo and Oluce produced versions that are worth a look.
How Much is a Mid Century Floor Lamp Diffuser?
The average selling price for a mid century floor lamp diffuser at 1stDibs is $2,400, while they’re typically $130 on the low end and $30,739 for the highest priced.
A Close Look at Mid-century-modern Furniture
Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.
ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Emerged during the mid-20th century
- Informed by European modernism, Bauhaus, International style, Scandinavian modernism and Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture
- A heyday of innovation in postwar America
- Experimentation with new ideas, new materials and new forms flourished in Scandinavia, Italy, the former Czechoslovakia and elsewhere in Europe
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Simplicity, organic forms, clean lines
- A blend of neutral and bold Pop art colors
- Use of natural and man-made materials — alluring woods such as teak, rosewood and oak; steel, fiberglass and molded plywood
- Light-filled spaces with colorful upholstery
- Glass walls and an emphasis on the outdoors
- Promotion of functionality
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
- Charles and Ray Eames
- Eero Saarinen
- Milo Baughman
- Florence Knoll
- Harry Bertoia
- Isamu Noguchi
- George Nelson
- Danish modernists Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen, whose emphasis on natural materials and craftsmanship influenced American designers and vice versa
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
- Eames lounge chair
- Nelson daybed
- Florence Knoll sofa
- Egg chair
- Womb chair
- Noguchi coffee table
- Barcelona chair
VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.
Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively.
Architect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer.
Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were repurposed too: The Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs using surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.
The Risom lounge chair was among the first pieces of furniture commissioned and produced by celebrated manufacturer Knoll, a chief influencer in the rise of modern design in the United States, thanks to the work of Florence Knoll, the pioneering architect and designer who made the firm a leader in its field. The seating that Knoll created for office spaces — as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients — soon became desirable for the home.
As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century furniture designers caught the spirit.
Classically oriented creators such as Edward Wormley, house designer for Dunbar Inc., offered such pieces as the sinuous Listen to Me chaise; the British expatriate T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings switched gears, creating items such as the tiered, biomorphic Mesa table. There were Young Turks such as Paul McCobb, who designed holistic groups of sleek, blond wood furniture, and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in minimalist teak dining tables and lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.
Generations turn over, and mid-century modern remains arguably the most popular style going. As the collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs, dressers, coffee tables and other furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and elsewhere on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.
Finding the Right Floor-lamps for You
The modern floor lamp is an evolution of torchères — tall floor candelabras that originated in France as a revolutionary development in lighting homes toward the end of the 17th century. Owing to the advent of electricity and the introduction of new materials as a part of lighting design, floor lamps have taken on new forms and configurations over the years.
In the early 1920s, Art Deco lighting artisans worked with dark woods and modern metals, introducing unique designs that still inspire the look of modern floor lamps developed by contemporary firms such as Luxxu.
Popular mid-century floor lamps include everything from the enchanting fixtures by the Italian lighting artisans at Stilnovo to the distinctly functional Grasshopper floor lamp created by Scandinavian design pioneer Greta Magnusson-Grossman to the Paracarro floor lamp by the Venetian master glass workers at Mazzega. Among the more celebrated names in mid-century lighting design are Milanese innovators Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, who, along with their eldest brother, Livio, worked for their own firm as architects and designers. While Livio departed the practice in 1952, Achille and Pier Giacomo would go on to design the Arco floor lamp, the Toio floor lamp and more for legendary lighting brands such as FLOS.
Today’s upscale interiors frequently integrate the otherworldly custom lighting solutions created by a wealth of contemporary firms and designers such as Spain’s Masquespacio, whose Wink floor lamps integrate gold as well as fabric fringes.
Visual artists and industrial designers have a penchant for floor lamps, possibly because they’re so often a clever marriage of design and the functions of lighting. A good floor lamp can change the mood of any room while adding a touch of elegance to your entire space. Find yours now on 1stDibs.
Read More
This Paavo Tynell Chandelier Is a Radiant Bouquet
The alluring pendant light exemplifies the designer’s winsome mid-career work.
Why Is Italy Such a Hotbed of Cool Design?
Patrizio Chiarparini of Brooklyn’s Duplex gallery sheds light on the lasting legacy of Italy’s postwar furniture boom.
See How New York City Designers Experiment on Their Own Homes
There are many lessons to be learned from the lofts, apartments and townhouses of architects and decorators in Manhattan and beyond.
Jeff Andrews Captures Old Hollywood Glamour in His Cinematic Spaces
Having created extravagant homes for reality TV’s biggest stars, the designer is stepping into the spotlight with his first book.
New Orleans’ Lee Ledbetter Makes Design Magic by Mixing Past and Present
The Louisiana-born and -bred architect talks to 1stdibs about the art of making timeless places that matter.
Desert Modern Designer Arthur Elrod Finally Gets His Day in the Sun
The Palm Springs interior decorator developed a mid-century style that defined the vacation homes of celebrities and other notables, including Bob Hope and Lucille Ball.
From the Hamptons to Palm Springs, FormArch’s Homes Embody Both Comfort and Cool
The houses from this New York studio cloak modernist tendencies within what are often more traditional trappings.
8 Mid-Century Lighting Makers
In the market for a fantastic fixture from the 1940s, ’50s or ’60s? Here are some names to know.
More Ways To Browse
Teak Frosted Glass Lamp
Industrial Photogenic Lights
Jacques Mizrahi
Jadeite Floor Lamp
Jadeite Glass Lamp
Japandi Lighting
Kalmar Werkstaetten
Kashmir Floor Lamp
Kern Aarau
King Kong Lamp
Kovacs Feather Lamp
Kreiss Floor Lamp
Kreiss Lamps
Kwok Hoi Chan Flamingo
Lloyd Loom Lamp
Machine Gun Lamp
Mahogany Floor Lamp 1920s
Mcm Amber Lamp